What is the role of a Herald?

• A. To signal the call to adventure and invite the hero to begin the journey.
• B. To test the hero with a riddle.
• C. To blur lines between ally and enemy.
• D. To embody the hero's shadow.

Answer: (A)

The Herald signals the call to adventure and invites the hero to begin the journey. This moment disrupts the hero’s ordinary world and pushes them toward a quest, often taking the form of a person, a message, or a sudden event that makes action necessary. It isn’t about delivering a test or riddle, and it isn’t about muddling who’s ally or enemy or embodying the hero’s darker side; those roles belong to other archetypes. So the best answer is the one that captures how the Herald initiates the voyage by presenting the invitation to embark on the quest.